//------------------------------// // Episode 11: Calm Before the Storm // Story: My Little Pony: Sparkling Harmony: Season Two // by Captain_Cosmos //------------------------------// The Friendship Express screeched to a halt at Ponyville Station. Once it was stopped, its doors opened and let out it’s passengers. Among them were a Changeling and an Earth Pony. Otherwise known as Airwave and Lyrica. Airwave smiled. “Sure feels good to be back doesn’t it.” Lyrica nodded. “Yeah. The Hive was a nice place, but it could use some more comfortable beds.” Airwave chuckled. “Yeah. I will admit that our bed at home is more comfortable than anything in the Hive.” Lyrica chuckled as she checked her watch. “We said in that letter to Sparkler that we’d be there at ten right?” Airwave nodded. “I believe so.” Lyrica nodded. “Then we better get going. Come on.” Airwave nodded and they left the station into town. Elsewhere on the platform, a pair of ponies wearing cloaks stepped off the train. One of them looked around and nodded. “He’s here. Our tracking spell confirms that much.” The other nodded. “Where is he exactly?” The first groaned. “I can’t get an exact lock. Something’s interfering.” The second sighed. “Then we’re gonna find that brat the old fashioned way.” The first nodded. “Let’s split up. That little runt can’t fend off even one of us anyway.” The second smiled wickedly. “Yeah. And he’ll learn the price for running away.” ... Meanwhile, at Sparkling Harmony Records, Sparkler, Flappy, and Kicker were in the living room playing Uno. Flappy placed down his next card...and it was a reverse card. Kicker and Sparkler chuckled. “Another reverse?” Sparkler raised an eyebrow. “Seriously? A, how did you two end up with ALL the reverse cards, B, you realize your little back and forth effectively cuts me out of the game right?” Flappy chuckled. “Squawk! Not our faults we got all the reverse cards. That’s on the shuffler. You. Squawk!” Kicker nodded. “You didn’t do a very good job.” Sparkler laughed while Flappy made a sizzle sound. “Squawk! Ouch. Burned by the kid. Squawk!” Sparkler laughed. Flappy and Kicker were taking potshots at her shuffling, Kicker just SASSED her, and Sparkler couldn’t be happier. It meant that Kicker was ever so surely warming up to his current situation. She nodded. “Ok, then how about this? Next shuffling cycle I take out all the reverse cards, that way we don’t end up like this again.” Flappy chuckled. “Squawk! Sounds like somepony’s mad she’s losing. Squawk!” Kicker laughed while Sparkler just smiled and shook her head. “What am I going to do with you two.” At that moment, she felt a tingle in her spine, followed by a knock on the door. She smiled, the tripwire spell was working. She stood up on her hooves. “I think we may have a client. You good staying with Kicker Flappy?” Flappy nodded. “Squawk! Sure. Squawk!” Sparkler turned, walked to the door and opened it to reveal two friends of hers. Airwave smiled. “This still the best place in town to rock out?” Sparkler beamed. “Airwave! Lyrica!” She pulled both of them into a group hug. “I missed you!” Lyrica chuckled. “We missed you too Sparkler.” Sparkler let them go and gestured them into the house. “Come on in. SHR’s missed hearing the soothing sounds of Airwa—“ “Squawk! Come on Kicker! Sparkler’s RIGHT THERE! We know who we’re looking for. You’re safe! Squawk!” They all heard from inside the house. Sparkler’s smile faded and she sighed while Airwave and Lyrica raised an eyebrow. “Was that Flappy?” “It sounded like he was talking to somepony?” “Sparkler did we miss something?” Sparkler nodded. “Something happened while you were away. Go on ahead down to the basement, I’ll get you some lemonade, find Flappy and Kicker and we’ll meet you down there.” Lyrica raised an eyebrow. “Kicker?” Sparkler nodded. “His full name is Thunder Kicker but we call him Kicker. You’ll meet him soon. But one thing, he’s really shy around new ponies, and I’ll bet he’s never seen a Changeling before so don’t do anything to startle him.” Airwave raised an eyebrow. “Ok?” Sparkler nodded. “See you in a few.” With that, Sparkler went off to find Flappy and Kicker. ... Flappy was landed facing the table, which a terrified Kicker was hiding under. He sighed. “Squawk! Kicker, I promise you these guys aren’t evil. They won’t hurt you. Squawk!” Kicker shook his head. “It’s a stallion and a mare, j-just like THEM.” Flappy sighed. This was gonna be a recurring problem. At that moment, Sparkler entered the kitchen. “Under the table?” Flappy turned to look up at Sparkler and nodded. “Squawk! This is gonna be a recurring problem. Squawk!” Sparkler nodded. “Which is why we are all going down into the basement so he can get used to them around here, they are regular clients after all.” She got down on her haunches and smiled warmly at Kicker. “Kicker. I promise these guys are super nice. They won’t hurt you.” She cooed. Kicker refused to move from his spot. “They’re a mare and a stallion...just like...” Sparkler just smiled and lit her horn to pull Kicker out from under the table. “Kicker, remember the other day when investigator Nosey came? He showed me photos of those two monsters. I know exactly what they look like, and I can assure you that these guys aren’t them.” Kicker said nothing as he just rushed forward and clung to Sparkler for dear life. Sparkler responded by wrapping her wings around him protectively. A thought came to her then. “Hey Kicker, you want to know WHY they’re here?” Kicker glanced up at Sparkler and nodded hesitantly. Sparkler smiled. “It’s because they’re a famous music duo and they’re here to record music.” Kicker raised an eyebrow. “Music?” Flappy realized what Sparkler was trying to do, and while he was onboard with it, he couldn’t help but think. I don’t care what Sparkler says, he is not touching our record player if he gets hooked on Airwave. I am NOT going through that again! He shivered as he launched into the air and headed for the basement. Sparkler smiled and nodded. “Yeah. Singing, dancing. It’s like a small party. Doesn’t that sound fun?” Kicker hesitated, and then nodded slowly. Sparkler smiled and got up on her hooves. “So what do you say? Wanna go down and meet them? I promise they’re REALLY nice.” Kicker nodded. Sparkler smiled and picked him up in her magic and settled him on her back. “And hey, wanna know another cool thing about our guests?” Kicker raised an eyebrow. “What’s that?” Sparkler giggled as she lit her horn and summoned 5 lemonade bottles from the fridge, letting Kicker have one of them. “One of them has transformation powers.” She said as she started for the basement. ... Airwave and Lyrica saw Flappy fly down the stairs. They watched him land on the table. “Squawk! Hey Airwave, hey Lyrica. How was the hive? Squawk!” “It was interesting to see how the hive changed since I was last there.” Airwave replied. Lyrica nodded. “Yeah. How about back here? It sounds like we missed something major.” Flappy chuckled. “Squawk! Nothing much, we just gained a new housemate when Sparkler was given temporary custody of a foal who...let’s just say his life was horsecrap until Sparkler found him in an alleyway the other day. Squawk!” Airwave raised an eyebrow. “What was this foal doing in an alleyway.” Flappy was about to answer when they heard hoofsteps on the stairs. They all turned to see Sparkler come down. And Airwave and Lyrica saw an orange foal with a red mane riding on her back. Sparkler smiled as she reached the landing and floated two bottles to Lyrica and Airwave. “Here you two go. A nice bottle of lemonade.” Lyrica nodded. “Thanks Sparkler.” She cocked her head to the side to see the foal. “And who do we have here?” Sparkler smiled as she lit her horn and moved Kicker from her back to the couch. “This is Thunder Kicker. He’s been living with us the past few days.” She turned and smiled at Kicker. “Say hi Kicker.” Kicker gulped. “H-Hello.” He said shakily. Airwave smiled softly and waved. “Hey there little dude. It’s nice to meet you. I’m Airwave.” “And I’m Lyrica.” Lyrica added. Kicker nodded. “S-Sparkler said you were a famous musical duo.” Airwave giggled. “Well, I wouldn’t go THAT far—“ Flappy cut him off. “Squawk! Your music reached the most remote place in the entire world. I classify that as famous. Squawk!” Lyrica chuckled. “You got us there.” Sparkler giggled as she leaned in and nuzzled Kicker in the cheek. “See? This isn’t so bad is it?” Kicker nodded. Airwave smiled, and then got an idea. “Hey Kicker, have you ever seen a live performance before?” Kicker shook his head. “No...” Airwave grinned. “Today’s your lucky day.” He turned to Sparkler. “Hey Sparkler, what song do you think he’d like?” Sparkler grinned widely. “I think we should start him out on your first ever song. Double Take.” Airwave nodded. “Alright then.” He quickly got to the nearest mic in the recording booth. Sparkler turned and smiled at Kicker. “Your ears are in for a treat Kicker.” Flappy watched as Sparkler raced to her producer chair and got the music set up. He shook his head. Like I said. Kicker is NOT touching the record player. No matter what Sparkler says. Sparkler flipped the player head on her record player and turned to Airwave. “Double Take in five, four, three, two...” She hit the play button. While Lyrica sat herself in the second swivel chair, Sparkler lit her horn and picked Kicker up, and brought him over to sit in her lap as Airwave started singing. “You are gonna LOVE this.” Kicker’s ears picked up on the music and Airwave’s voice, and he smiled. “Ooh.” This is good. Kicker was out of the seat and dancing on the table by the second chorus, and Flappy and Sparkler and Lyrica were watching. Sparkler smiled. She loved watching Kicker having fun. It’s amazing to see how much he’s changed since I first met him. Only a few short days ago. Her smile faded a little as a thought came to her. Only a few short days. It feels like years. She sighed. Should I talk to him now? It’s only been a few days...surely he doesn’t see me as a mother already... Sparkler continued to watch him dance. For all I know he just sees me as his temporary caregiver... Lyrica noticed Sparkler’s change in mood and raised an eyebrow. “Something wrong Sparkler?” Sparkler snapped out of her thoughts at Lyrica’s voice...and shook her head. “Oh, no, nothing’s wrong. Just...basking in this moment.” She continued watching Kicker as Airwave was finishing up. While I still can... To be continued...